• 30Jan

    Baked Butternut Squash and Apples

    A great fall or winter dish – I love the apple/cinnamon aroma as it bakes. The original recipe calls for butter, and the cranberries are my addition. You can use fresh or dried cranberries. At first bite into the baked cinnamon-y apples, you’ll think this is a dessert instead of a vegetable dish.

    Ingredients:

    4 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
    1/4 cup real maple syrup
    1/4 cup cranberry or cranapple juice
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    1/4 tsp ginger
    1 large butternut squash
    3 Granny Smith apples
    1/2 cup cranberries
    Salt to taste

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    2. Combine butter, maple syrup, juice and spices in heavy saucepan over medium heat.

    3. When butter has melted, turn heat down and let sauce simmer 5 minutes.

    4. Meanwhile, cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and peel. Slice in 3/4″ slices and layer in bottom of 9×12″ ungreased baking dish.

    5. Peel and core apples. Slice in thin slices and layer on top of squash in baking dish.

    6. Spead cranberries evenly over top of squash and apples; sprinkle lightly with salt.

    7. Pour maple sauce over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.

    8. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer until squash is fork tender, basting every 5 minutes with maple sauce.

    Makes enough for a large crowd.

    Filed under: Baked Butternut Squash and Apples, Sides
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  • 29Jan

    Peruvian-Mexican Marriage

    One of our favorite places in town is a small restaurant on the east side – Hola! Restaurant – that features really great nouveau Peruvian cuisine.

    When I eat at places that offer out-of-the-ordinary choices, it’s hard to decide whether to try something new or stick with a favorite (my favorite being their halibut tacos served with rice and refried beans that are like no other rice and beans you’ve ever eaten at any other Mexican restaurant).

    This evening, feeling a bit adventurous, I ordered a Peruvian dish called Lenguado made from halibut, prawns, calamari, onion and tomatoes wok-fried with a choririllana-style sauce, and served with quinotto, which we *gringos* know as quinoa. Delicious! The seafood and vegetables were incredibly tender, and I think the quinoa had a bit of cheese melted in the middle.

    Gary ordered Mole Poblano – a recipe that’s been in the restaurateur’s family for over 75 years. It consists of chicken breast simmered in a light sweet chocolate sauce (of course). That there weren’t chunks of chocolate floating in the sauce was hubby’s only disappointment. Of course.

    One of the things I appreciate about Hola! – well, besides their extremely courteous service and the really great food – is their commitment to community. They give quite a bit in food and supplies to hungry people in central Oregon.

    If you’re ever in Bend, Oregon and hunkering for tasty Mexican-Peruvian cuisine, try Hola! Restaurant on the east side (gotta get there early to get a table) or their new location in the Old Mill District.

    Filed under: Eateries, Peruvian-Mexican Marriage
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  • 24Jan

    Peanut Butter Maple Cookies

    Second only to chocolate, hubby’s favorite food is peanut butter (we buy the kind that lists only peanuts and salt in the ingredients). He came across this recipe for PB cookies from 101 Cookbooks with only 8 ingredients. Actually the original recipe lists 7 ingredients, but hubby added almond extract … and he used whole wheat pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour.

    There’s a little boy in every man, and my little boy loves cookies. I came home from work one day and a stack of these chewy PB cookies was cooling on the counter. Good job, hubby.

    Ingredients:

    1 cup chunky peanut butter
    1 cup real maple syrup
    1/3 cup olive oil
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 tsp almond extract
    2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    1 tsp baking soda
    3/4 tsp sea salt

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (racks should be in the top third of the oven).

    2. In a large mixing bowl, blend peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla and almond extracts with a wire whip.

    3. Add flour, soda and salt to the mix; stir until just blended.

    4.Let batter set for 5 minutes. Drop by tablespoons onto cooking sheets. Dip fork into glass of cold water and press down gently on each to make a criss-cross pattern. (The original recipe indicates that since the batter is soft, it should be chilled for an hour to get good criss-crosses, but I had already pre-heated the oven and found that I could use the cold water dip before each fork press.)

    5. Bake for 10 minutes. We live at 3,700′ elevation and have always set the timer to rotate the pans halfway through baking. These cookies were perfectly done at exactly 10 minutes, but you may need to adjust depending on your elevation and oven accuracy.

    6. Let cool 3-5 minutes before transferring to aluminum foil … and then you can stack them in any pattern you’d like.

    Makes 2 dozen large very good and very chewy cookies … or you can make 2-1/2 dozen medium-sized cookies, but where’s the fun in that?

    Filed under: Desserts, Peanut Butter Maple Cookies
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  • 23Jan

    Chicken Cranberry Salad

    The first time we made this recipe, I pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator: “Waddya think … we’ve got some dried cranberries. Would that be good in chicken salad?” We baked the chicken, put together the salad, packed it in a small cooler and headed off with our snowshoes for Todd Lake. We worked up quite an appetite, and chicken salad never tasted so good.

    Today we revisited Todd Lake on our snow-shoes. The lunch menu again included this favorite chicken salad recipe, along with some mandarin oranges and homemade granola bars. I am happy to report that the local residents loved the cranberries and nuts in this dish.

    Ingredients:

    2 chicken breasts
    Garlic powder
    Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend
    2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
    1/2 red onion, finely chopped
    1 cup dried cranberries
    1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans (I’ve also used pine nuts)

    Taragon Garlic Dressing:

    1/2 cup Vegenaise
    1 Tbsp prepared Dijon Honey Mustard
    2 Tbsp honey
    1 garlic clove, pressed
    1 tsp dried tarragon
    1/2 tsp garlic salt

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil spray.

    2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic powder and Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend; bake 20 minutes in prepared baking dish.

    3. Cool chicken, dice into small cubes, and refrigerate until ready to use (this can be done a day in advance).

    4. Slice the celery and chop the onion.

    5. Blend together Tarragon Garlic Dressing ingredients with a wire whip.

    6. Combine cooked chicken, celery, onion, cranberries and nuts. Add dressing and mix well.

    Yields enough for two hungry snowshoers, or four civilized guests.

    Filed under: Chicken Cranberry Salad, Salads
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  • 22Jan

    Tomato Basil Fettuccine

    My friend Tracey, mother of seven beautiful children, sent this simple pasta recipe this week – one of their family favorites. Today was the perfect gray day to try it out. I loved the blend of tomatoes and fresh basil and Mozzarella – a new comfort food dish to add to my list of favorites.

    Ingredients:

    1/4 cup olive oil
    3 medium large tomatoes, chopped
    2 cloves of garlic, pressed
    2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/8 tsp pepper
    Grated Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese ( I used low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese)
    8 oz spinach or regular fettuccine noodles (I used organic spinach fettuccine made with Jerusalem artichoke flour)

    Directions:

    1. Prep vegetables before starting the pasta: chop the tomatoes and basil, peel the garlic.

    2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with 2 tsp olive oil.

    3. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

    4. Cook 3-4 minutes.

    5. Serve tomato/basil sauce over fettuccine (Tracey’s recipe instructs to toss the tomato/basil sauce with the cooked fettuccine). Sprinkle with cheese.

    Feeds 2-3 hungry adults.

    Filed under: Main Dishes, Tomato Basil Fettuccine
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  • 21Jan

    Cheese Ball

    Two things going on at work today that called for food – a potluck lunch and an evening support meeting. Gary, brilliant man that he is, suggested a cheese ball, which I haven’t made in a few years since we’ve eliminated cream cheese (and other delicious, high fat foods) from our diet. Sigh.

    It was a great idea. I could make one recipe, shape it into two cheese balls, and have both events covered. I must say that eating soft, flavored cheese with crackers, after all these years, was delightful.

    Ingredients:

    Two 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
    1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 tsp garlic salt
    3 green onions, thinly sliced
    1 cup nuts, finely chopped (I’ve used walnuts and pecans)

    Directions:

    1. Blend all ingredients except the nuts.

    2. Mold into desired shape and roll in nuts. (I’ve made one large cheese ball, two smaller cheese balls, and log shapes – so take your pick.)

    3. Wrap in clear plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can make this cheese ball a day in advance, and leftovers keep for several days.)

    4. About 1/2 hour before serving, remove from refrigerator to soften slightly. Arrange on plate or tray with your favorite crackers. Serves a party.

    Filed under: Appetizers, Cheese Ball
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  • 16Jan

    Irish Oatmeal

    I was raised on hot cereals for breakfast – rolled oats, cream of wheat, cream of rice, Ralston – with a tablespoon of wheat germ on top for good measure. No cold cereals in our house. Frankly, I was a little embarrassed about this arrangement. You can imagine what a treat it was to eat sugared, boxed cereals at a friend’s house after a sleep-over.

    Gary and I had our first bowl of steel-cut oats a couple years ago at a Bed & Breakfast on the MacKenzie River. We loved the nutty texture of steel-cut oats. Back to my roots … Mom would be proud!

    The only problem was, the directions on the can indicate the cooking time to be at least 45 minutes. Who has 45 minutes to cook oatmeal?!

    Instead, here’s an easy, overnight soak that cuts the morning cook time down to just a few minutes.

    Ingredients:

    2 cups water
    1/2 cup Irish steel-cut oats
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1 Tbsp real maple syrup
    1/2 to 1 cup of fresh or dried cranberries, raisins, or fresh or frozen blueberries

    Directions:

    1. Before going to bed, bring the water to boil in a medium saucepan. Turn off heat and stir in the oatmeal. Cover the saucepan and leave overnight.

    2. In the morning, cook oats over low flame for 9-12 minutes.

    3. About 2 minutes before oatmeal is done, stir in cinnamon, maple syrup and fruit.

    4. Serve hot with or without milk.

    Makes 2 hearty servings.

    Filed under: Breakfast, Irish Oatmeal
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  • 16Jan

    Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup

    As mentioned in my previous post, I boiled the carcass of the Mandarin Ginger Roasted Chicken, not sure if it would make good soup stock with its blend of ginger, cinnamon and mandarin rinds. Turns out, it’s excellent … and as you can see from the photos, very dark in color.

    The beauty of this homemade soup is, you create it exactly how your family likes it. Make it thin and brothy, or chock full of vegetables (try broccoli and zucchini in addition to the celery, carrots, onion and parsley) .. or substitute your favorite pasta. Most importantly, have fun experimenting.

    Ingredients:

    4 cups chicken broth (boiling the carcass produced approx 2 cups of broth; I had additional broth in the fridge)
    3 lg stalks celery, thinly sliced
    2-3 lg carrots, thinly sliced
    6-7 green onions, sliced
    3-4 oz whole wheat linguine
    1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
    1 cup chopped fresh parsley

    Directions:

    1. Place broth, celery, carrots and onions in a soup pot.

    2. Bring to a gentle rolling boil; cook for approximately 6-7 minutes (vegetables will still be crisp).

    3. Break linguine into thirds. (We’ve gotten used to whole wheat pasta and it’s really quite good.)

    4. Add linguine to pot. Gently boil until pasta is tender, an additional 7-9 minutes.

    5. Stir in chicken and parsley; simmer until heated through. Do not overcook.

    Makes enough for 4 servings. We had banana nut bread and fresh pears with our soup – and hubby had seconds, which is always a good sign.

    Filed under: Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup, Soups and Sauces
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  • 14Jan

    Mandarin Ginger Roasted Chicken

    My co-worker ordered a few books for our Cancer Center library this week. One of them was a cookbook by Rebecca Katz entitled The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen.

    It includes a recipe for a roasted chicken, flavored with orange juice, paprika and ginger. I had some tangerines that I wanted to use up, so with just a few tweaks, here’s my version of one of the ultimates in comfort foods – a roasted chicken.

    Ingredients:

    1 4- to 5-lb chicken
    1 tsp paprika
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp sea salt
    3 mandarins, zested (for about 1 tsp of zest) and juiced, rind reserved
    1 tsp grated fresh ginger
    3 slender pieces of fresh peeled ginger, about 1″ in length
    3 garlic cloves
    2 cinnamon sticks

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat bottom of 9×13″ baking dish with olive oil. Pat chicken dry with paper towel and place breast side up in baking dish.

    2. Blend the paprika and cinnamon together. Divide mixture in half, and stir salt into one half.

    3. Rub the salted spice mixture all over the outside of the chicken.

    4. Blend the unsalted spice mixture with the grated ginger and mandarin zest.

    5. Gently lift the skin away from the breast; lightly massage the spice and zest mixture into the meat under the skin.

    6. Place the ginger pieces, garlic, cinnamon sticks and mandarin rinds inside the cavity of the chicken, along with half the juice.

    7. Place chicken in oven. Total roasting time will be approximately 1 hour. Every 20 minutes or so, baste with juices from pan and a few tablespoons at a time of the remaining mandarin juice.

    8. Let chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

    Hubby and I were surprised that the ginger flavor dominated – to the point where we didn’t taste the cinnamon or paprika or garlic. But the bird was delicious and tender … and, of course, half the pleasure of a roasted chicken is the aroma that permeates the house as it roasts.

    I boiled the carcass afterward, curious to discover if the unique blend of flavorings would make a good broth for soup. It did; oh yes, it did.

    Filed under: Main Dishes, Mandarin Ginger Roasted Chicken
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  • 09Jan

    Sweet Potato Fries

    A while back when sweet potato fries starting showing up on restaurant menus, I made my own version.

    (We’ve tried this recipe with both sweet potatoes and yams. Perhaps because of the brighter color, yams are our preference.)

    Ingredients

    2 medium-sized sweet potatoes or yams
    4 tsp olive oil
    Seasonings of your choice

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees F.

    2. Peel the sweet potatoes or yams and cut into uniform fat French fry lengths. (If you cut some too thin, they darken quickly.)

    3. Mound fries on a 12×17″ baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with a metal spatula to coat evenly with oil.

    4. Sprinkle fries with Mrs. Dash, garlic salt and paprika, to taste. Toss with spatula to distribute seasonings; spread fries in a single layer on baking sheet.

    5. Bake 20-30 minutes, depending on desired crispness. Halfway through, toss fries with metal spatula to keep them from sticking to the baking sheet.

    Sweet potato fries are great with a turkey burger or salmon. Serve warm – makes enough for 3-4 people.

    Filed under: Sides, Sweet Potato Fries
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